Search This Blog

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Flan the chihuahua is now all of 14 weeks old and waiting for his new home. He is crate "aware", not quite trrained yet and has learned to whip out of his sweater in seconds flat! He plays nicely by himself with stuffies, but also likes to play with other dogs and LOVES to run thru the leaves at the park across the street.
He was turned in at a shelter as a stray at 4 weeks, who would leave a tiny puppy outside?

Kirby the 7 year old cocker (I thought he was 10) has no interest in removing his sweater, he likes them, wanted a new one on our last trip to Petsmart. He wants a home who handles his slight dominance with
a firm but gentle manner; he understands immediately that he has pushed his luck just a hair too far. He is
a very nice dog, TOTALLY housebroken, quiet and a great walking dog. He has the demeanor of a 4 year old dog. His owner died and he has been in my care since August. He has learned to get along with other dogs and loves to ride in the truck, can't figure out why we sometimes walk right past it!

Both dogs are available for adoption thru a shelter and so are both sweaters for 4.00 and 7.00 at Pet Stuff Resale!

Friday, December 25, 2009

What a great present this was from my good friend Greta Jean, who is a Foo-Foo Queen, but this is practical also. The flameless part is a self explanatory safety feature for any pet owner, who can remember turned over, broken and chewed possessions from their first day of fostering or ownership of an animal.
The aroma is delightful;I received green tea citrus. In fact it was a little strong for my small master bedroom
because I have to be extra careful with scents around my macaw, Harpo. It is perfect in the living room.

The price, at 14.99 (at Walgreens) was a little stiff for a self proclaimed tightwad (which Greta knows well!), but having tried it, I will repurchase. I have counted 4 dead "half" candles around my house due to wicks burning out, so the price is worth it for the long term results. Each luminary lasts 4 hours
and can be turned off merely by raising the little scent holder. The refills are very inexpensive and grab your
heart, the batteries are included!
The luminary is part ofthe Febreeze Home Collection with similiar items and is easy to find using Google.
I have not been paid for this recommendation. This is just the best aroma difuser I have ever used.
Thank you Greta!
She is also my friend who fostered and adopted the L O N G dachshund, Mikey and adopted the 13 year
old Snoop dachshund, even paying for his long over due dental, both of whom have been featured in a previous blog.

Monday, December 14, 2009

These faces grabbed my attention, all for different reasons. The retriever at the top was patiently waiting for his owner who was in a donut shop near Tomball; I am very partial to older dog faces.
Pancho on the left has just about one of the neatest faces I have ever seen on a dog! He did not want his picture taken and his owner was very patient while I tried repeatedly to get Pancho to look ..just for a second!
The tiny chi girl on the right had the sniffles and her owner was looking for a vet; I so hope she found one
for this little pink princess.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

These cute faces caught my eye this week at Becky's. They are enjoying doggie day care, complete with
a big chair in the back of the picture! Becky used to be in with Kingsland Blvd Animal Clinic and now is right next door. She is so good that my friend Sheila has to book 6 weeks in advance to get her dog Chase groomed and won't go anywhere else.
There are also lots of foo foo items for sale for the discriminating dog!
As with any of my recommendations, Fireplug Bed and Bath doesn't even know I am doing this and I can't
be influenced to promote a pet business in which I don't have full confidence.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Frankie was left at a vet clinic overnight in a small crate with a note sayinghis owner had lost their job. He is a 3 year old blue tabby and very l o n g.

Tucker was dumped at a shelter because his owner "no longer had time for him". He is a Siamese mix and VERY affectionate. Tucker is about 2 years old.

Both were so hissy at the shelter they could not be put up for adoption without some chill time,but have settled in nicely at my house. They are with other cats and small dogs. There have been no issues living with cats that are not declawed.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

This one year old LIVELY male(yorkie mix?) obviously has belonged to someone recently; he is clean and heartworm negative. Why he is not neutered and microchipped is beyond me. Two of us could not get him to look at the camera, he was a little wild man. He was just as squirmy at the vet. This injury is rather old and needs either fixing or amputation. I was hoping he could just be put up for adoption as a special needs dog, butthe vet evaluation proved that would not be responsiblerescue protocol. The "fixit" is estimated to be 750.00(very reasonable) and amputation willbe 350.00. Shelter resources are never flush so this is not a dog that could be saved in the current economy.....however with a couple of dollars here and there and 2 people tell 2 other people he could have a happy life.A generous donor instantly wrote a check for 150.00 today without even seeing a picture of the dog, so I am hopeful.

Next he needs a name. Due to his activity level, I looked at a naming site under traits and found several for active dogs. My choices are Deuce, Boogie(I could all night long) and Nitro.Please vote for your favorite. Several people have indicated problems trying to comment on previous blog posts, so please let me know if that happens.

Many thanks to the mystery vet who donated the xrays!

ps-He will also wake up neutered!pps-Of course he will need a new home as well.

Monday, November 30, 2009

BARC(animal control) is in dire need of disposable litter boxes and newspapers; they are using paper plates
temporarily for litter pans. The cardboard bottoms of canned pet food are perfect for litter boxes, small and
disposable, so keep an eye out at pet stores. If you can snag any from grocery stores before they are crushed, that would be great. Of course, not just pet food ones there, any cardboard base/tray will work:)
(Don't get me started on why permanent litter boxes are not used.)

BARC is also in need of newspapers so please save those as well.

I will be happy to be a drop off point; since I sell in front of the Greater Good every weekend 12-4, you
can bring there or email me for alternative connecting.

I like projects like this where we can make a difference and not open our checkbooks!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Stephen Lee(named after the vet who saved his life) came to me as a rescue kitten weighing a whopping 8 oz. Housing for him proved difficult as he
was so tiny he could slip thru a wire cage and to be living in full time
a plastic one was too confining. A friend had just given me a rectangular
bird cage that was perfect, tiny bar spacing and a big enough opening
for a small litter box. (I used a metal Twinings Tea tin!). I used a waffle cloth towel so he wouldn't get his claws caught in the loops of a regular towel. He now weighs 16 oz and too big for that cage so today I moved him to a tall ferret cage and wrapped the ladder with a washcloth so he wouldn't get caught on the rails. He LOVES the increased climbing possibilities and is a tiny bit more coordinated to handle the height. I should have taken pictures.

Last Christmas I was selling during an Open House and it was quite chilly,
so I put my foster chihuahua in the aquarium shown. It was perfect, as it kept the wind off of him and people could still see him. Of course the sweater he had on was for sale:)He was a great "hook" to my booth.

This is yet another fun part of my job; finding alternative pet housing for clients needs. Pet Stuff Resale can help you with any unusual request
or a situation where traditional housing is not working for your pet.

Friday, November 20, 2009

This is an unretouched picture of a crate just posted on petstuffresale.com. Retail shows it is 41.00. At Pet Stuff Resale, it is only 23.00, disinfected. It is 12x14x23 and especially great for cats who are scared; they can be lifted right out the top safely. It is also good for small dogs, ferrets and some birds.
Not all price differences are so dramatic, but some are more. Pet Stuff Resale also provides education to new pet owners as well as comparisons between crate types, for example.
Save money and recycle at Pet Stuff Resale!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

As I posted last week, Romeo was turned into a shelter BY HIS OWNERS in this horrible condition; mange so bad he had no fur, secondary infection from scratching, heartworms and a permanent
limp. Of course he wasn't altered because they were breeding him. The biggest obstacle he
faced was the broken jaw. He can eat alright but the jaw will deteriorate without surgery soon; he has been in foster care for over a year being rehabbed.
Pet Stuff Resale is sponsoring the 1.00 raffle for the Queen sized afghan displayed at the Citizens for Animal Protection Thrift store annex. The address is 11925 Katy Freeway, Houston, 77079. Please stop in and visit. Romeo
won't be there; he was a little barky last Saturday even though he is perfect at home.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

This is Linda, whom I met when she and her husband Allen adopted a senior chihuahua, Ricky, from me.

We immediately became buds and she has become one of my best customers as well as a repeat

adopter of another senior chi, Ricky!

I have mentioned Linda in a previous post as me being her personal shopper. Her dog Micah has his own toddler bed from Pet Stuff Resale. Having been to their home I know their tastes and all of their dogs (and turtles and chickens). That makes it great fun when I am roaming thru my inventory haunts and something jumps out at me that would be perfect for their brood.

About once a quarter we meet and she goes thru my truck bed and picks out what she likes,

which is about 95% of what I bring. She insists on buying lunch EVERY time and we each think we have the better end of this great relationship.

I could be your personal shopper too and you don't have to buy my lunch!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

This precious 3 year old came into a shelter over a year ago. He would have been immediately euthanized at most shelters due to his medical needs. He had absolutelyno hair due to sarcptic mange and deep skin infection from scratching, was horribly emaciated, limping from a permanent leg injury, a cracked jaw and of course heavily loaded with heartworms. Not surprisingly, he also had a serious distrust of humans.

Due to dedicated, unwavering care by Rebecca the Poodle Queen, Romeo now has hair!He has been treated for heartworms.He is learning how to play like a dog should and to relate to humans.He has picked up weight and does not appear to have problems eating.Our wonderful vet at Westbury, Dr Chalkley, examined his jaw and said wiring it is possible and he shouldn't have any major problems after that it done. The jaw will deteriorate if it is not fixed fairly soon.

Here's where you can help inexpensively. Pet Stuff Resale is raffling off a gorgeous Queen afghan in shades of green, mauve and cream for 1.00 a ticket. It will be displayed in the Annex part of the Citizens for Animal Protection Thrift store, which is just to the left of the Greater Good. There will be a big bowl(which will move around, so I can't say it is in a certain place!) Just put your name and a phone number on any white 3x5card(to keep all cards equal). Ask anyone you can to enter. The winner will be announced on Sunday Dec 13th at the CAP Holiday Open House.It also looks much better "in person".Unlike other raffles, you will not be solicited to buy a timeshare or scuba lessonsfor entering!

I will have pictures of Romeo in a future post.

A second beneficiary of the raffle will be some of the many dogs coming in with heartworms.

Some of you may remember when I let people pet a crippled chihuahua for .25 to raise funds for his orthopedic surgery. Two Bits now Ricky, raised close to 1500.00!

Thank you for helping to spread the word.

Shopping at both rooms of the Thrift Store benefits the animals at the shelter and is particularly fun the last quarter of the year because so many donations come in for end of the year tax write offs!

Monday, November 9, 2009

These 5 precious furkids are all very lucky for several reasons. They all came into a shelter with heartworms,which prevents their adoption(dogs should never be adopted out with heartworms). The number of heartworm positive dogs in Houston is horrendous and many cannot be saved. In these cases foster families were found to house them for the 8-10 weeks and vets were kind enough to donate or discount their expensive treatment.

As a veteran rescue person, it bothers me that so many pet owners do not have their dogs on heartworm prevention when they can find money for other things. The treatment is not only expensive, it is time consuming for the shelter or rescue group and very painful for the dog.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Cricket on the right and Meerkat below are modelingthis darling Size 1 camo jacket. They are actually hoping to get some media attention so they can get adopted as they are currently my fosters.

I purposely posed a male and a female in it becauseit has a pink lining,which I have never seen pairedwith camo, so it can be considered unisex! It is 4.00 at Pet Stuff Resale.

Cricket has been featured on this blog before; he was found wandering with a broken leg and had tohave a metal plate inserted, so he will have to be hand scanned at the airport for life. He is 3 yearsold and needs an all adult home. He would like to have a play buddy.

Meerkat and her heartworms were turned into an animal shelter last year. She is 7 years old and has been successfully treated for them. She would be fine with other dogs or asa solo dog in an all adult home.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

This is one of the most frequent questions I get, so decided to show one of my sources.This is a flea market outside of College Station that is full to the road on Sundays; I was there on a Saturday(ok, I was up there visiting a vet also!) when the place is almost deserted.(I sometimes drive up on Sunday before driving back to sell in front of the Greater Good near I 10 and Dairy Ashford.

Finding things for clients really makes my job fun and I actually found an aquarium set up at one of the maybe 5 tables that were there. That struck me as so funny that I had to take a picture to post here.

The answer to the inventory question is I buy anywhere I can, often from previouscustomers, vets, groomers, Craigslist, inquiries from my truck signs, thrift stores, even deserted flea marketsand some places I accidentally run into.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Scotty was allegedly left at someones house by his owner who never came back. Several months later he was dropped off at an animal shelter in dire need of a dental and actually a bath also, as well as flea meds...

He began hacking a little and needed to see a vet to determine if what he had was normal "Yorkie Snort" or collapsing trachea or was really sick. I try not to spread upper respiratory into a vet clinic, so usually vets are kind enough to come outside for a tailgate exam! Dr Shows had just come out of surgery so was glad for the break and it was beautiful outside anyway.

He pronounced him healthy enough to go for his dental surgery.

Scotty is 8 years old and neutered, as well as heartworm negative. He weighs a whopping 4.6 lbs. He will be looking for an all adult home when his hair grows back in.

Monday, November 2, 2009

This is Dawson. He came into a shelter not only being 9 years old, but with horrendous teeth, emaciated, testicular cancer and of course, heartworms. In the best of economies he would not be considered for fostering and medical care due to his age and extent of medical problems. He is only alive because I thought it would be good practice for a new vet at Westbury Animal Hospital and they agreed. He is named after her. Dr. Dawson ended up not being available and so my regular vet saint Dr. Jeff Chalkley got him fixed right up anyway. Now Dawson is undergoing the very painful heartworm treatment and not doing very well. Dr. Chalkley will be inducted as the new President of the Harris County Veterinary Medical Association next month. I am so blessed to have him helping in rescue! There are not adequate words for the former owner.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Patton(part clown) and Rabbit (for his incredibly soft white fur) obviously had a great time at the Kingsland Blvd Animal Clinic Open House. Many thanks to Connie Clancy and her daughter for showing them off. Both dogs are neutered, on heartworm prevention, crate trained and ready to go to a "real" home. They do have foster homes in case they get sick while waiting for that perfect home.Many thanks to Connie and her daughter for all of the dog walking they do on a regular basisfor shelter dogs, giving them needed exercise.

Monday, October 26, 2009

When Oscar the Grouch came thru the crowd to enter the contest, everyone automatically said "That is the winner!" The owner said this 10 year old poodle mixwas totally comfortable having green food color being put on it and riding around inthe can.Second place went to Bruno the cat who weighed about 22 lbs and rode around in his crate on a cart and his orange witches hat, never once trying to remove it. I am sorry his picture did not come out.As a football fan I voted for this duo who also wore their outfits all afternoon with little complaint.The Kingsland vets have helped me in rescue off(only didn't when I lived inside the Loop) and on since 1986 and are wonderful to the many animals they treat for several rescue organizations. More than a few furries are alive today because of their efforts.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

My house faces the community park and Kirby LOVES running over to roll in the grass.

He also got away from me once and ran 3/10's of a mile down the road,which is a lot longer than

it sounds when one is in a long dress and flat shoes! He was only stopped by the edge of a

guys cattle pen and I had had to carry all 18 lbs of him back to the house, missing a SNAP fundraiser...if I had stopped for a leash, he would have been much further away!He is only 9 years old chronologically.

Here he is modeling a fold out foam dog chair.

It may not have started out as one, but Kirby swears it should have been. 12.00 at Pet Stuff Resale

This beautiful cocker was adopted about 6 years ago and his owner died this year. No one in the family was able to take him so he was returned to the shelter and adoptedthe next day! Sadly he was returned for aggression 3 1/2 months later, then went after a shelter manager so was not going to be put back up for adoption. His first foster person would not take him back either.He has been staying at my house while I have been looking for a home for him and I cansay that he is NOT at all aggressive if the person is watching his behavior. He wasaggressive with me at the vet clinic because I was STUPID and approached him too fastas a stranger. If he is allowed to come out of his crate instead of a hand going in after him, he is a perfect gentleman.In his second home, he was allowed on the bedwhich can add to dominance issues. I have had Kirby since August 2nd and have nothad any behavior problems AT ALL.He is quiet, well behaved and does not act like a 9 year old dog at all. His eyes are clear and he can tire me out on a walk! He loves to go in the truck and is well mannered with other dogs. He likes shopping at Petsmart. Kirby is crate trained and eats dry food only. His coatis rather short. He is fine with cats also. I would put him with older children who understand not to get right in his face, as with any dog.Please consider Kirby as I can not add him to my gang . My job is fostering, not permanent home status. He has done nothing wrong to deserve this house shuffle.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Weezy Baby found his new habitat thru Craigslist, but not on Craigslist! He got lucky and so did his mom Michelle because I peruse CL daily looking for neat things for current PSR clients.Sometimes I find clients there also:) As a student, Michelle didn't have a big budget and I hada 40 gal tank with a lid that was cracked so was very reasonably priced. Ta Da, Weezy Baby nowhas a much bigger tank than he expected to get. He is very friendly, likes to watch TV while napping on Michelle's shoulder and about 2 feet long.(Ball pythons are traditionally very placid.)Michelle was also very patient during my "pets are lifetime commitments" speech!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

From time to time I hear a prospective client say "Oh I can get this cheaper at _____". The response is "maybe, maybe not"; in many cases, it is CHEAPER and the client sacrifices quality, especially if the crate is for a puppy. They have sharp teeth and endless energy!

Often it is an apples to oranges comparison. When I know the specific brand, usually a bargain brand, I can point out the differences. On wire crates, there may or may not be "guards", little fasteners going forward and/or backwards anchoring the top to the sides. These prevent the dog from pulling or pushing the wire walls ajar, which can injure the dog. The less expensive crates have fewer of these. The strength of the wire itself varies also. The bargain brands have what I call "winky" wire, not very strong. The generic brand I sell is mid range gauge.The really strong stuff is found in crates such as Midwest Ultima brand-pit strong I call them.

In addition, the plastic trays are often very thin, so can split under the weight of a bigger dog.One of the most common requests I get at Pet Stuff Resale is for replacement trays.

Petmate, which has made some very good crates, has really lowered their standardson some smaller plastic crates. The plastic itself is flimsy and the plastic connectors fall off frequently, especially the front ones. They have improved the door; I no longer see the round dial latch which was terrible. Unfortunately, these crates are not bargain priced.

I spend a lot of time educating customers and will refer clients to a pet storeif I do not have what is best for them. It's not just good business, I don'tdare ignore how my momma raised me!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

I want to correct it but getting different information from different vets.I have been told that you do not need to wait 90 days and also told you cannotreuse cat furniture because spores such as ringworm last forever. In the spirit of honesty I did not want to wait to say I need to do more research on this topic.I do apologize and thank Cindy Shaw for the gentle to update my information.I am waiting to hear back from several more vets.

Yes, I was just outside in my driveway doing exactly that! I was excited about it; a load of cat trees when it is rare to get even one in the secondary market. Ok, I wasn't quite that excited to be out there but was wide awake and wanted to put my time to good use. I grabbed Kirby the cocker to give him some out time and multitask also, I confess. Too bad none of my neighbors were up to get a photo!

Between the truck dome light and a subdivision street light I could get quite a bit done. It's a tiny community with lots of pine trees and a couple of small lakes, so the breezes are quite nice,great working environment. (This is just another of the many benefits of working for ones self.)

This 5 and 6 foot cat trees are in great shape and are in neutral colors. The support piece of wood(the trunk) is all one piece, not two pieces nailed together, which is important for stability. It also speaks to the quality of workmanship, no cutting corners on this cat furniture. They are priced between 100.00 and 125.00.

One of the most important aspects of Pet Stuff Resale is product cleanliness, so these trees need to be isolated for 90 days, until 12/9/09, as a precaution. There is no way to disinfect all the way thru the carpet, nor is leaving them outside adequate. FIP is the longest lasting germie affecting cats; even though it is not common, I don't take any chances.

Clients buying one of these neat trees and getting a picture of their cat(s) on them will get it posted here with their bio.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

This has been my bank since 1997, when I started Pet Stuff Resale. I was just on the phonewith a representative (and so happy to be speaking to a live person who was not in India).She was having difficulty accessing my account and made some reference to my password, which big surprise, is one of my dogs name! That triggered the very nice rep, named Rebekkah, tomention that Wells Fargo offers pet insurance. I think that is pretty neat!

Hosted by Veterinary Pet Insurance 1-888-341-0780, it not only covers traditional pets such as dogs and cats, but also exotics, such as parrots(I have 3), snakes, iguanas, even pot bellied pigs and hedgehogs. Rebekkah and her daughter Simone have 2 pet rats, which are great pets; maybe they are covered also.

I have no experience with this company; this is not an endorsement one way or another, I am just sharing information.Kudos to Wells Fargo for providing this service.(Also, kudos to both Rebekkah and a previous rep Jeanine who was helping me when we got cut off. I got great service from them both)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Mikey is 34" nose to tail and was loaded with heartworms when he arrived at a Houston area shelter, but not anymore. He stayed at the shelter seemingly for ages as no one had room to foster. Dachshund rescue who is very good about taking some of the many dachshunds needingmedical attention was full as well.

My dear friend who got me onto dachshunds (and I paid her back by getting her into greyhoundadoptions:) kindly offered to take him in during heartworm treatment, even though it's a 2 month or more commitment.

Mikey did try a few tricks at first such as "I will push the tray out of my kennel" and "I willget out of the kennel" but soon settled in and did well during the treatment.

Last week he announced that he was staying there permanently as it was too much trouble totrain in a new person(he is a little bossy, in a polite way). Yea for both Mikey and Greta Jean!

Here's another plea for giving heartworm prevention, It is so much cheaper than treating for heartworm disease and of course the treatment is extremely painful for the dog. It also reduces the number of animals a shelter or rescue can save, both in money and space considerations.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Sisters Pandy and Mandy are showing how to use a plastic exercise pen to its best use; to lean on so they can see out more! 30" tall and approximately 15 linear feet, it provides ample play area for puppies. The configuration of the plastic discourages climbing puppy feet(Chihuahuas and Poms are notorious climbers) and can be reconfigured easily. It folds up for easy storage.

Many people prefer these to the wire xpens as they do not rust, so can be left outside when needed. This just came into Pet Stuff Resale and is 50.00 plus tax.

Pandy and Mandy have been in my foster care for a year, since they were 6 weeks old. Their mom was a blue heeler and one of the dads was a chihuahua, which shows alot in one of the male

littermates, TugBoat. No one knows the rest of the male lineage! They are both under 15 lbs

and at full growth.

Wish them luck on an adoption interview tomorrow! Many people have inquired about them,

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Major kudos to their humom for her patience in taking these terrific photos; she admitted salting the "tree" a little with catnip:). There were 12 great shots, I had a very difficult time cutting down to just these 4! Winston the black male is intimidated by absolutely nothing, he looks to be training baby girl Nell to be as feisty.

I recommend that all carpeted cat items be isolated for 90 days as they cannot betotally cleaned all the way down to the base. Leaving out in the sun doesn't do iteither. I date everything when I get it in if I do not have its history as part of my "everything is sanitized" policy. This was 40.00 at Pet Stuff Resale.

Paco, the red chihuahua in the lower corner of one picture is a rescued baby as areboth of the cats, many thanks to Shelagh for that also!